Synopsis
For the first time since WWII, a European airplane manufacturer, Airbus, not only succeeded in challenging Boeing, the storied American aviation titan, but also nearly crippled the giant-a fate fully realized by McDonnell Douglas, a previous American icon. This book chronicles an insider's account of more than two decades of how Boeing fought back in the extremely fierce, high-stakes, and highly political quest for global aviation supremacy. The book also shows how the industry shapes the regulations and, working with the regulators, how it has changed the direction of aviation. Specifically, this book details the development of regulations that significantly (in Billions of US dollars) affected the fortunes of Boeing & Airbus. These regulations greatly enhanced the success of long-range two engine airplanes (twins) such as the Boeing's 777 & & 787 and the Airbus' 350. The resulting success of the B777 forced Airbus to prematurely end the production of the A340 family of four engine airplanes (quads). The success of long-range twins, because of these regulations, may adversely affect the future potential of the quads such as the newly developed A380 and the B747-8.